Outlookin

This week’s new Dustinland comic was inspired by my last trip into the city for work. I was walking to the office when I had this realization that I could be unfairly assuming everyone is awful. I mean, they could be, but is that the best way to live? I remember this graduation speech that David Foster Wallace gave, where basically he said sure, we can assume the worst of everyone, we may even be right about it… but we should strive to not see the world that way. After all, will it make us happier to live in protective bubbles of cynicism and disdain, or will it make us hate life and everyone around us?

Now, I’m not saying I live in the happy rainbow world either. But we’re always evolving and I think at least I’m more and more aware of my thoughts and sub-thoughts, and all I can do is strive to be better and happier.

Also weed girl in the comic is not a real person. I just thought it would be a funny way to end the strip so I made up this stoner friend. I do actually know someone like that but he’s a pretty normal looking dude and I didn’t feel like drawing that. High five.

The Lanternfly Effect

This week’s new Dustinland comic is about voting. Not to ruin it for you, but it uses the ritual of stomping spotted lanternflies as a metaphor for the act of participating in a democracy alongside hundreds of millions of people. Yes, it feels like your one single act is pointless. Statistically, one could argue it is. However, each vote does matter, just as each dead spotted lanternfly does.

Now, some may wonder what I’m saying with the final frame. Well, it’s simply — you wouldn’t just let yourself get covered in spotted lanternflies, would you? Even though killing them feels hopeless when you look across the street and see them blanketing a tree, you still do your best. And that’s voting. No matter how sorry the situation is, you still go out and do it. Even if you hate the candidates, vote for a write-in.

Or just give up and let the swarm take over. (And no… please don’t hijack this metaphor and make it a real obvious one about immigration. That is lame and unimaginative, but I could see someone easily taking it there, so let me head you off at the pass.)

And hey, for the record, I’m in the same boat as Bill Maher. I think we’re pretty fucked as a country. But I’m still gonna go out there and do my thing. That’s where I don’t agree with George Carlin, even though I see where he was coming from.

To Root Or Not To Root

This week’s new Dustinland comic is about sports fandom. It’s pretty long and wordy — I haven’t done one this long in a while, mostly because no one has an attention span anymore, unless it’s for a video. But that’s another rant. We’re here to talk sports.

Now, I am posting this comic on Sunday, which is maybe not the best time, but it is right after the Mets lost two games to the Braves, and this is my way of processing that. Maybe they’ll win tonight and then I can feel at least slightly better tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

I’m New Here 8-12

This week I was a bit too busy for a new strip, but here is a collection of my last five strips for The River Journal. They’re meant for an audience of a few towns in Westchester, NY, but really I think anyone who moved from the city to the burbs will appreciate it. Hence the title.

These will also be a nice break from all the misery in the news today since these are all pre pandemic and non political. So take a break and enjoy.

I’m New Here 7

This week’s comic is my latest work for The River Journal. If you live in a suburban town, I think you’ll be able to relate — even if it’s not Westchester. That being said, there is a certain New Yorkness to this comic. This town always has had a bit of “if you’re not here, you’re nowhere” to it. One thing I don’t understand is why so many people can’t except other people’s choices. It always has to come back to a subconscious defense of their own lifestyle. Why? Why can’t we like different things?

I’m New Here

I’ve been drawing a new comic called I’m New Here for a local newspaper called The River Journal. They cover a bunch of towns up here in Westchester, including mine. I say up here because Westchester is north of NYC, and that’s sort of where everything is judged by around these parts. Anyway, you can see the first four strips here. There’s certainly a theme, as you can tell from the title. I grew up in an apartment in Queens so being new to the suburbs provides endless ideas. If you’re lucky enough to live in a Hudson river town, you get the printed version delivered right into your mailbox. Good times.

Blame The Jews

This week’s Dustinland comic is about how I feel about being Jewish, which is different than most Jews, I would imagine, since I am very non-Jewish in terms of practicing religion, or even cultural traditions for that matter. Basically, I light a menorah once a year and my parents make potato pancakes. That’s how Jewish I am. It stops there. But still, I am part of something much bigger. I’m a funny (supposedly) New Yorker that works in the media/advertising industries, so there’s that. But the whole thing is pretty weird. Not to be too much of a hippie stoner about it, but I’m just a person trying to make his way through life, and yet I am caught up in this centuries old feud, where you have to assume at least a billion people don’t like me, or at least don’t like the idea of me.

I don’t know. Everything is just awful right now, and getting worse. I mean, forget anti-semitism. Brazil is about to destroy the Amazon and China just said let’s kill all tigers and rhinos. The world is fucked. Mankind is doomed. But hey, I guess blame the Jews.

The Towering Infuriation

This week’s Dustinland comic is about how the MTA and Metro-North just erected a 150-foot cell tower right next to a low income housing community’s playground in Tarrytown, Westchester, where I live. I don’t live in that community, but I do live close by, and I thought I was pissed when I could see this huge ugly pole out my window. I can’t imagine what these people feel like, having this thing looming over them.

I’m actually part of a grassroots movement that’s trying to get this thing moved, but I think it will be a tough fight. I’ve been looking into it and it sounds like these things go up all over the country and no one wants them but basically it’s like, tough shit,  losers. But it’s at least worth fighting it. I know these things have to go somewhere, but why there? I mean, the town isn’t even getting paid! It’s on MTA property, tax free, so they can rent it out to phone service providers and keep all the profit, and we get nothing except an eyesore and maybe some radiation. Now that’s America.

Move Your Sack

Let me get into the interesting details behind this week’s Dustinland comic.

See, I drew the first half based on my daily annoyances that are pretty well spelled out in the strip. But then, after it was all done and even uploaded, this morning I listened to an episode of This American Life, which I never do on my commute, because I never do the podcast thing, always opting for music instead. And this episode, it was about a French comedian trying to make it in America. At one point Jeff Garland is critiquing his set, and just goes off. “He’s a craftsman, but he’s not an artist because I don’t care about what he’s talking about. He doesn’t care! Talk about what you care about! That’s interesting!”

And I was inspired to go deeper with this strip. Because as you can see, I do care. It’s about the principle. Not just the bag, not just the minor inconvenience. Every time this happens, I think about all this stuff, all this human nature misery. It riles me up. That’s why I care. And now you know. Thanks, Ira Glass!

Livin The Dream?

This week’s Dustinland comic is basically a combination of all the discussions I’ve been having in the real world. I moved to the burbs about 5 months ago and so now everyone wants to hear my take on it. It’s like when you get married or have kids or get back from a big vacation. Everyone asks you the same things—for good reason. But it does get tiring having the same conversation over and over again. Although there are some subtle nuances that can be more interesting if you really dig into them. Like seeing skunks and fearing ticks. That’s when I enjoy the conversation more.

And man, I really did see a skunk this weekend, crossing the street in front of my house. A skunk! I live 40 minutes from NYC! Later I showed my kid a picture of a skunk and told him, hey, if you ever see this animal, STAY AWAY. And then a neighbor told me, oh boy, coming out in broad daylight, could be a rabid skunk. Man, that’s not cool. Skunks are bad enough. Now it’s a rabid skunk!

But yeah, I do like it out here.